Final chapter looms for Texas textbooks

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Textbooks could be going the way of slide rules and Big Chief tablets within a few years in Texas classrooms.

State legislation passed in the spring could put up-to-the-minute instructional content at students' fingertips — either online or in customized printed form — eliminating the mass-market hardback textbook.

The sea change could happen sooner rather than later, beginning as early as the 2010-11 school year.

"This is one of the few times we can do things cheaper, faster and better all at the same time," said the measure's author, state Rep. Scott Hochberg, D-Houston.

The legislation is one of two bills passed this year that allow the Texas Education Agency to create its own repository of digital textbook content.

By switching to online content, schools could save money, customize materials to fit students' needs and more easily integrate textbooks with video, software or other technology.

This month, the Texas Education Agency is taking the first step by calling for bids for online material from both traditional publishers and online content providers. Officials there expect to have the first open-source textbooks and other materials online for students next fall.

"We did have a publishers meeting last week, and spent three hours talking through the open-source and electronic textbook concepts with them," said Anita Givens of the TEA instructional materials division.

The state's move toward online content will affect other states too, since publishers tailor their products to conform to the needs of states with the most students.

Hochberg says the state would realize an immediate savings by buying online content, known as open-source textbooks, instead of traditional printed books. The state could buy online content for less than $20 million, he estimates. Some hard-copy books would still be needed for students without computer access.

As many as 63,447 books were replaced during the 2008-09 school year due to wear, loss, damage or destruction, at a cost of $264 million.

Schools will have an incentive to adopt online content by splitting the savings with the state, Hochberg said. Students who want a printed copy can print one out for about $20 per copy.

Other states, including California and Virginia, are also building Internet-based content libraries. California's plan uses free, widely available open-source material off the Internet, either under public domain or open license, to put together math and science textbooks.

Hochberg said that Texas' plan is an improvement upon California's and that Texas will buy and own its material rather than relying on the free handouts of publishers.

"They're creating an online library of free material," he said. "We know curriculum has to be consistent and work from one grade to the next."

The flexibility of the online system is particularly attractive to educators, Hochberg said.

Online material is easy to update, making even fast-changing math and science curriculum more current.

The TEA has two separate bid procedures for content providers.

One is for state-developed open-source content, where the commissioner can use a competitive process, Givens said. The second bill, HB 4294, calls for a commissioner's list of electronic textbooks.

Open-source materials would be purchased by the state, which will have ownership ability to edit and copy it online. Under the electronic books option, school districts buy from state-approved list

Contracts agreed to next spring would enable the state to make those changes by next fall.

Though existing curriculum standards approved by the State Board of Education would still apply to online content as well as textbooks, the commissioner would have authority to act independently in approving online material.

The division of responsibilities doesn't sit well with some observers, particularly state board trustees.

"The idea of this open-source list now has no vetting whatsoever," said Pat Hardy, trustee from Fort Worth. Education Commissioner Robert Scott was appointed by Gov. Rick Perry. The 15 board trustees are elected.

"That is pulling away the power of the state board to make decisions," Hardy said. "That's too much power for one individual to have."